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Local knowledge and values of coastal communities offer insights into the intricate human-nature relationships in the land-sea interface. Considering a diversity of values unveils how people perceive nature, encompassing both tangible and intangible dimensions, and this understanding is part of how they navigate dynamic environmental challenges by embracing livelihood diversification spanning land-sea activities. Better understanding of these values, relationships and diversification strategies can improve social-ecological systems theory and practice. Here we assess links between local knowledge, values and livelihoods in order to identify emerging tradeoffs. Using semi-structured interviews with qualitative and quantitative methods, we conducted a total of 88 interviews in five communities in Southern Chile. Local knowledge and values were collected as free-listing on terrestrial and marine species. We probed relationships between livelihood diversification and values, classified as relational, intrinsic, and instrumental. Our findings showed that marine species were most associated with instrumental values, while terrestrial species had a balance between relational, intrinsic and instrumental values. We observed that as communities expand their livelihoods and live closer to the city, they showed lower knowledge and values, and in these cases instrumental values predominate. Certain diversification strategies could lead to time constraints, impacting the transmission of knowledge and resulting in less values. Deeper and long-term cooperation between different actors to recover and protect different values is necessary to couple local knowledge and values with livelihood diversification. Our research provides valuable insights for policymakers aiming to develop holistic strategies that include relational values and leverage diverse knowledge systems to address contemporary environmental challenges. Key policy highlights: Coastal communities present a wide diversity of livelihoods, ranging from communities specialized in marine activities, to those with activities in the sea, land and tourism. It is important to understand the current relationship between livelihoods and nature. Connectivity to cities, urbanization and new markets could have a negative effect on the diversity of nature's values, therefore it is necessary to adopt measures to prevent this erosion of knowledge and values. Relational values offer an opportunity to explore the diversification of livelihoods and move towards sustainable futures in the relationship with nature. Decision-makers need to consider different values of nature, especially relational values, to understand the connection between humans and nature and develop policies that promote positive futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change models for lizards assume that changes in its climate envelope (the climatic conditions that define a species' distribution at a given time) are due to species being unable to withstand temperature increases, but this assumption has not been tested to assess its robustness. Studies on lizards' preferred temperature in thermal gradients can fill this gap. Our aim is to assess the response to climate change of Liolaemus nigroviridis, a sky island lizard, by (i) assessing its thermal preference in a thermal gradient; and (ii) estimating which localities inhabited by the species would exhibit hours of activity restriction (Hr) implying an increased risk of local extinction. The results of this research and the information obtained from the literature concur on the consequences that climate change will have on the thermal ecology of Liolaemus from specialized habitats; the increase in substrate temperature is indeed a factor determining its presence. We also have information that not all populations of L. nigroviridis will be influenced in the same way; the northern populations will be more affected in terms of thermal restrictions and, in addition, Hr will increase at higher elevations. We propose that this be considered for future management for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use change is a main threat to biodiversity due to its impact on habitats, especially for species that inhabit mountainous regions. In the face of this, an adequate management requires knowledge of species habitat requirements, but in Chile, few studies have analyzed these requirements in a vulnerable group like reptiles in anthropized environments. A situation relevant to this problem is the Andes of Chile, which are facing increasing levels of anthropization that could affect species such as Liolaemus nigroviridis, a lizard that inhabits areas where urbanization, skiing, livestock, and waste have been increasing. However, there is no available information on the impact of these activities on this species. To analyze the effect of anthropization on L. nigroviridis, a study of habitat use with anthropogenic and natural resources was carried out through the analysis of resource selection indices (in Farellones, central Chile). Our results show that L. nigroviridis is affected by constructions; above a threshold of 15% of built environment, the species is not present. However, small-scale livestock, waste, and roads showed no apparent effects on the species. We concluded that urbanization is one of the main threats to this lizard in Farellones, since it is a determining factor for its presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]